Buckle.



J. H. TABLER.

BUCKLE.

APPucATloN HLED :uns 22. 191s.

1,216,881. Patented Feb. 20,1917.

J/vvenroR TTURNEY.

JOHN HOWARD Tannen, OFLANHAM,

4MARYLAND.

BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concer/n.'

Be itknown that I, JOHN HOWARD TABLER, a citizen of the Lanham, in the vcounty of Prince Georges and State of Maryland, have invented a Buckle, of which the following is a full and complete specificatiom My invention is an improvement in buckles, and relates more especially to that particular class of such devices in which the ree end of the binding strap or webbing is secured to the attached buckle by frictional engagement therewith, leaving the strap free of the usual holes and permitting it to be readily and accurately adjusted or tightly bound around the article to which it may be applied.

The primary object of my invention' is to provide a tongueless buckle of thisggeneral type for use in connection with a binding strap or webbing, whereby the latter may be easily and conveniently looped around an object, package,vor several school books and the slack quickly taken up by simply pulling uponI the free end of said strap; the engagement of the coperating parts being such in the present instance as to secure a firm and secure fastenin which will'not yield or give until the buc le is manipulated to release the strap or relieve the binding action thereof.

A further object of my resent invention is to soconstruct the buck e that when the binding strap is tightened around the art1` cle or articles said buckle will lie flat against the same to be out of the way of catching A into anything, Aand present a neat appearance.

Theselimportant objects, as well as other advantages which will hereinafter appear, are attained by the particular arrangement and formation of the strap engaging crossbars and connecting side piecesv constituting the buckle, all as hereinafter fully described and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the application of my improved buckle in connection with a book strap.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the buckle, connected to a binding strap or webbing.

Fi .3 is a detail sectional view of the buck e, the connection of the binding-strap thereto being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of' the buckle.

United States, residing at Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In carrying out my invention the buckle is made of a single casting or in one piece to present opposite parallel side walls 6, 6, similar in configuration and connected by three strap engaging cross-bars 7 8, and 9, at the rear, intermediate portion, and front of the buckle, respectively; the cross-bar at the front having a lifting-tongue or lip 10 formed integrally therewith and projecting forwardly for convenience in manipulating the buckle for releasing the same, as hereinafter. described. The location of these cross-bars with respect to each other and to the lower edges of the side pieces forms one of the essential features of my present invention, whereby to insure a firm hold or grip on the free end of the strap or webbing and provide that the said buckle will lie flat against the book or other article to which the binding strap or webbing is applied. To` accomplish thisv the rear crossbar 7 is a sli ht distance above the plane of the lower e ges of the side pieces, corresponding approximately to the thickness of the strap or webbing to which the buckle is applied, the bar 9 is on a horizontal. plane with the axis of said rear cross-bar, and the lower edge of `the intermediate cross-bar 8 is on a plane with the axis of the front cross-bar; the cross-bars 8 and 9 being spaced only a short distance apart while the cross-bar 7 is located a greater distance from the adjoining cross-bar 8. In the present instance, also, the front cross-bar is flattened onits vinner side to present a plain bearing surface 9 for increased frictional engagement with the strap or webbing and a rather sharp edge 9" at the lower end of the friction surface,

Patented Feb. 20, 1917. A Application led J une 22, 1916. Serial No.4 105,181.

lower edge of' the front cross' and the intermediate cross-bar 8 may be and preferably is flattened atl its lower front j side, as at 8a.

The buckley or fastening device is intended for use in connection with a `strap either of leather or fabric possessmg the required buckle between the side pieces thereof shouldcorrespond, and when applied to a trunkstrap the webbing would probably be an inch and a half or two inches, according to the work or strain to which the strap and buckle may be subjected, the size and strength of the buckle corresponding with the size of strap or webbing used.

In applying the buckle to the strap or v webbing, designated l1 in the drawings, one

end of said strap is permanently connected to the rear cross-bar 7 by looping if-, around44V said cross-bar and riveting the terminal porn tion to the body directly in the rear of the cross-bar by a rivet 12, or any other form of c attachment may be used.

' i 20 In use the free end of the strap is passed from the forward end of the buckle below the lifting tongue or lip 10 up between the cross-bars 7` and 8, brought over the crossbar 8 and passed forwardly in between the body of the strap and lower edges ofthe cross-bar 9 and tongue or lip l0; the strap being then formed into a loop which may be:` readily slipped over the package or pile off books which lmay be then bound tightly to- I gether by simply pulling on the loose end of the strap. Of course the threading of the'strap, or passing it aroundthe cross-bar 8 as hereinbefore described, may be done after the strap is passed around the package p or books, but by maintaining the outeror free end of the lstrap in looped engagement with the cross-bar `8, or the strap in oper- I- ative position, as illustrated `in Fig. l2, it

` may be more quickly manipulated in binding 40 or tying up books, &c. When the free end of the strap is pulled upon the frictional engagement of the strap with lthe peculiarly7 .shaped cross-bars 8v and 9 will serve to firmly and securely hold the strap in its '45 adjustment, and the buckle -will lie flat upon vthe books. In pulling upon the free l' end of the strap it will easily slip through the buckle until the strap is tightly bound I around the books, and when the free end is released the looped portion within the buckle holds tightly and is not affected by any strain or pull on the body portion of the strap whichbinds. the books together,

and rearward by pushing a finger of the hand under the lifting-tongue or lip 10, which is provided with an upturned outer end 10a to facilitate the operation. When tilted upward in this manner the gripping action of the binding-edge 9b is relieved, as well as the gripping action of the edge 8b of the crossebar 8, permitting the strap to` slip around the last mentioned cross-bar.`

When the strap is pulled tight through the buckle the hold or grip is such that the looped and frictionally engaged portion will not slip or yield as long as the pull of the body portion of the strap is longitudinally with respect to the buckle, and as there is no slip or yield to the strap or webbing there is little or no wear on the webbing.l Furthermore, inasmuch as the binding action is effected by reason of the pull on the body portion of the strap below the clamped porclaim:

A buckle comprising opposite side pieces with straight lower horizontal edges, a rear cross-bar extending between the side pieces a short distance above the lower edges thereof for-the attachment of a strap to the buckle above said lower edges, a front cross-bar between the side pieces and located with its lower edge on a horizontal plane approximating the axis of the rear cross-bar, said front cross-bar having a Hattened inner side to provide an increased frictionsurface ,and an engagingedge at the lower end thereof, 95

an intermediate cross-bar between the side pieces at a higher vhorizontal plane than the front cross-bar and located a short distance from the latter, anda lifting tongue projecting from the front ofthe bucklel on a 100 plane with the front cross-bar.

JOHN HOWARD TABLER.

Witnesses:

CHAs. E. RioRDoN, D. R. Hnnsnnir. 

